Chocolate candy cane cookies

I’m often asked how all of my baked goodies turn so pretty and delicious and I don’t know what to answer. Truth be told, it doesn’t always happen.

There are lots of recipes I had to taste-test multiple times, some didn’t even make their appearance on the blog because I wasn’t satisfied with the result. Some notes are still kept and maybe in the future I’ll see that recipe from another angle and get it right. Some, of course, if I’m lucky turn out perfect from the first time.

Let’s talk a little about these cookies.

They are pretty, they have two of my favorite flavors chocolate and peppermint and they melt in your mouth when you take a bite. Now, you might ask, what’s wrong with them then?

Let me go back in time a little few minutes before our weekly play-date at my house. It was a last-minute decision to make cookies, although I already had some of these chocolate crinkle cookies and hot chocolate cookies arranged on a plate, but when inspiration strikes you have to follow.

I quickly creamed the butter with the sugar, added the dry ingredients, scooped the cookie dough on baking sheets, chilled for few minutes while the oven heated and waited patiently for the cookies to bake while making small talk with my cool mom friends.

The oven timer went off, I took the cookies out and to my surprise there were nothing how I imagined them to be.

I wanted cookies similar with the chocolate cookies I made last year but with a new twist. And there they were my flat cookies, so soft and crumbly I couldn’t pick one from the baking sheet.

I tried to pretend like nothing happened, asked the other moms if they want more tea or coffee and tempted them with the already arranged cookie platter and went on with the playdate. I was already doing Math in my mind. Where did I go wrong? How can I make these cookie the way I want them? Too much better? Too little flour? Shall I add an egg yolk next time?

Time flew by, the playdate was over and there I was, facing the cookies.

I tried to pick another one to taste it to try to figure out what it needed and I was surprised to see they were holding their shape. Once cooled they were not crumbly anymore. I could easily move them and they were delicious! Just how I imagined them to be : buttery, chocolate-y and slightly sweet. The only thing was they were not looking like truffles but like a regular cookie.

My mind start thinking again, but in another direction. How to make these cookies Christmas-y.

I took some of the Green and Black’s mint chocolate, chopped it finely, poured some hot heavy cream on top of it, stir to make a ganache, spread on top of each cookie and sprinkled some crushed candy cane on top. Oh yes! Now we’re talking Christmas cookies!

In a mixing bowl cream the butter and the sugar. Add the flour, cornstarch, cocoa and hot chocolate powder and mix until combined.

With a scoop, place spoonfuls of cookie dough on two baking sheets and place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the oven to 300F.

Bake the cookies for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

When the cookies are cooled heat the heavy cream and pour it over the chopped chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ganache is creamy and shiny. Depending on the fat content in your heavy cream you may need to add few more drops. (do not add cold cream to the ganache!)

With a teaspoon spread the ganache on top of each cookie and sprinkle some crushed candy cane on top of them.

Roxana Yawgel http://atreatsaffair.com/ All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

About Roxana

Roxana has a passion for all things food, a sweet tooth that can’t be tamed and a severe case of the wanderlust
With an audience in search for real food and no fuss recipes, I make midweek meals exciting sharing approachable recipes, both sweet and savory, that taste completely sinful.

I have baked more than one cookie like that, certain it was a disaster but pleasantly surprised at they held together when cooled. They must all have some basic chemistry principle in comment but danged if I have any idea what it is! These look delicious, am pinning now… And noting to self to let cool completely. 😉

I tried this recipe today and am not sure what I did wrong, but they came out pretty dry and crumbly. I did increase the butter by an additional 1/2 cup because without it they wouldn’t stick together. Any suggestions on what to do differently? They have a delicious flavor but I like a moister cookie. Thanks!

Hi Rhonda,
The cookies were crumbly and so hard to pick them from the baking sheet, but once they were not warm anymore they were holding their shape.
I really don’t know what might have went wrong with yours.
Roxana

These look wonderful. I am going to be making these using regular all purpose flour and my question is do I still need to add the cornstarch? I am assuming you used that to replace the gluten in the flour? Also I am going to freeze them for a few weeks; Do you think if would be a better idea to freeze them without the chocolate on top and just do that step after thawing them? Thank you SO much! 🙂

I would still add the cornstarch even when using all purpose flour. The cornstarch helps binging the cookie dough and gives it a little chewiness.
As for freezing, my recommendation would be to decorate them when you need them not before freezing.

Thank You Roxana! I altered the recipe a bit. I did still add the cornstarch but half the amount and I also added an egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. They came out delicious and I got 36 out of this recipe! It’s a keeper!

Hi Roxana, I am making your recipe as I write this. I used regular flour and the amount of cornstarch you listed in the recipe (hadn’t read the other comments first).
My first batch came out in the exact same shape as I had placed them on the cookie sheet, which happened to be little ball shapes. So, the second batch I pushed down on the ball a little before I baked them and I just pulled them out and they cooked in that shape too.
Are they supposed to spread out and flatten a little bit?
I’m going to do the ganache tomorrow. Hopefully the look nice like yours.

yes, the cookies are supposed to spread. They are quite thin when baked. I guess using all purpose flour instead of the gluten free flour prevents the cookie dough from spreading. I will have to try and see what happens.

Hi there! I'm Roxana. I have a passion for all things food, a sweet tooth that can’t be tamed and a severe case of the wanderlust. I make midweek meals exciting by sharing approachable recipes, both sweet and savory, that taste completely sinful. Read More →

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